Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The north-west coast of Tasmania has lost one of its greats. Mr Neil Rawson OAM, passed away on 12 August at the age of 81. He was the founding president of the Northern Tasmanian Football League. He was a left-footed half forward who played only 12 games of seniors football with Ulverstone before a knee injury ended his promising career. Despite this injury, his spirit was not broken and he remained heavily involved in football, going on to establish himself as the leading football administrator in Tasmania. His service and devotion to the game earned him not only a merit certificate from the Australian National Football Council but also induction into both the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame and the NTFL Hall of Fame.

Football was not his only passion. The accountant by trade dedicated himself to a number of community groups: life member at the Ulverstone Tennis Club, the Ulverstone Show Society, Ulverstone Lions Club and not forgetting the Ulverstone Football Club. In 2005, Neil was deservedly recognised with the Order of Australia medal for his for service to the community. Perhaps an even greater reward for Mr Rawson was having the Ulverstone Football Club chosen to be inducted into the Tasmanian Hall of Fame in 2015.

He was a gentleman of our community—a gentleman that everyone loved. I would like to pass on the sympathies of a grateful electorate to Neil's wife, Marleen, his children, Leigh, Christine and Dianne, together with his six grandchildren and the wider Ulverstone community.(Time expired)